Constant and Substantial Involvement in Peace Support Operations
Romania's Bid for NATO Membership
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Constant and Substantial Involvement in Peace Support Operations |
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The following article was written exclusively for The Romanian Digest™ by H.E. Ioan Mircea Pascu, Romania’s Minister of Defense.
From 1992 until 2000, Minister Pascu was a respected academic, serving as a Professor and Dean of the International Relations Department of Bucharest’s International School of Political Science and Administration. In 2000, Minister Pascu was elected to the Chamber of Deputies from Satul Mare and appointed Minister of Defense.
Herzfeld & Rubin, P.C., and Rubin Meyer Doru & Trandafir, sca, are honored by the Minister’s gracious contribution of his time and authorship on behalf of The Romanian Digest™.
En route from Madrid to Washington and Prague, Romania has pursued significant endeavors to accelerate its overall internal reforms so as to qualify as a strong contender on the track towards NATO membership. The very essence of NATO integration is intrinsically connected to internal political and military reform, and the goal of membership has consequently acted as a catalyst for change among state institutions and within the entire Romanian society. Romania has gradually improved its own added value to the Alliance’s capabilities, having as guideposts: stability, reform and integration.
Why does Romania want to join NATO? Alongside the geo-strategic objective of ensuring national security and enhancing regional stability, entering an Alliance of a like-minded nations represents a long-term guarantee that Romania is and will continue to be an intrinsic part of a whole and free Europe.
Romania’s efforts towards membership required substantial work and cooperation to make us fully capable of acting like a virtual member of NATO’s Southern flank and, more recently, at the global level, in the anti-terrorist campaign.
While speaking about Romania and NATO, one should take into account both the given geopolitical realities and the challenging political and economic processes. Political stability, military contributions, and a commitment to NATO solidarity are our assets on the road to NATO membership.
The geo-strategic dimension of the candidate states’ contribution to NATO has achieved a certain relevance in the context of the emergence of the new risks to global security. Currently, the need for rapid deployment and access to geo-strategic locations has increased as Allied countries have become involved in crisis management and counter-terrorist operations in out-of-area regions.
Romania’s geographic location ensures the connection of the European landmass to Turkey and the Levant, establishing a strategic junction between the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The Black Sea area represents a major pillar in any transportation or energetic infrastructure project while both Romania and Bulgaria are indispensable partners in securing Central Asian supplies to Europe.
There is only a glance needed on a chart showing the parameters of territory and population to notice that we are the largest candidate country for NATO membership this time around, similar to what Poland represented for the first wave of enlargement. In this light Romania’s individual strategic and military contribution to the Alliance has been appreciated as making a significant positive input with respect to Euro-Atlantic peace and security endeavors.
Political and Economic Self-Performance
As it transited a decade of transformations, Romania has developed sound political institutions, consolidated its democratic processes and moved towards a functional market economy. Three rounds of elections and two democratic transfers of power have demonstrated that internal stability is an unquestionable achievement. Inter-ethnic dialogue and cooperation also reached a new qualitative level in the region.The commitment to NATO and its quasi-unanimous political and popular backing among Romanians (more than 80% of the population in 2002) has been a continuous characteristic of Romania’s candidacy. Democratic political requirements such as minority political representation, governmental accountability or civilian oversight of the military have been successfully developed at the institutional and legal level. Romania’s foreign and security policy has evolved in a bi-partisan or, more precisely, a pluri-partisan pattern wherein basic international arrangements and commitments remained the same irrespective of the different governments’ political color.
The upgrades of Standard & Poor’s 2002 outlook reflect recent advancements and the positive prospects for accelerating economic reform during the next years. Progress has been particularly noteworthy with regard to economic growth -- more than 5% in 2001. Moreover, viability of the market economy is indicated by the fact that the Romanian private sector now accounts for 65% of GDP.
The success accomplished to date in the reform process springs from an understanding that this process is not only a pre-requisite for NATO membership, but also an important part of modernizing Romanian society as a whole and integrating it successfully into the community of free and democratic nations.
Romanian Armed Forces: Reform and Contribution
The core of military reform has been shaped by the changing role of the national armed forces, which has moved towards a larger vision on missions and required capabilities.The Romanian Armed Forces have turned into a security and defense system in which, aside from the traditional role of conducting war and ensuring homeland defense, our soldiers have to be prepared for different types of peace support or crisis response tasks, including participation in art. 5 missions. Consequently, Romania places a high priority on fostering military reform aimed at shaping a compact, effective, efficient and flexible NATO-compatible structure.
Since 1989, the wartime strength of the Romanian Armed Forces has been reduced by 73% from 850,000 to 230,000. At present, the overall strength of the Romanian Armed Forces are about 128,000 out of which 98,000 are military personnel.
A comprehensive overview of the force structure has started this year in order to reshape and adapt the military establishment to the new security context and better meet NATO’s needs for flexible, leaner, modern and efficient capabilities. In accordance with the new force structure plans (Objective Force 2003-2007), the military structures will be organized on Active and Territorial Forces with an overall strength of about 90,000 (75,000 military and 15,000 civilians) and a level of professionalization of 90% for the active component. An analysis has started on the possibility to completely professionalize the armed forces in the medium term.
Steady and verifiable progress has been specifically made in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) framework through the 3rd Annual National Program that Romania is currently completing. Qualitative changes occurred in the implementation of a western-style military career management system; general command and control improvement; establishment of a NATO compatible communications system; bringing into operation the Air Sovereignty Center (ASOC); and implementation of a planning, programming and budgeting system (PPBS).
The decrease in the number of high-ranking officers and the increase of professionals has resulted in a structural shift in the armed forces. The goal of the new Military Career Guide is to put the best person in the right position at the right time in their career.
The redundant personnel who asked for unemployment counseling, training or help in finding new jobs or starting their own businesses, were provided with the assistance requested through the Re-conversion Program started in 2001.
A NCOs Training Center was established in Ploiesti, with US Marine Corps’ support in order to develop a skilled NCOs corps required to meet our future needs. This model has been incorporated into the curriculum of all enlisted training institutions.
In the area of personnel training, the Romanian military has focused on improving English language capabilities and professional training either in Romania, at NATO schools or in training facilities of NATO countries.
To get the best value for the money, a resource management system, based on an adapted US model, is now operating and a resources planning time-frame has been adapted to incorporate the NATO standard of 6 years. The current government has committed itself to maintain the defense budget at 2.38% of GDP between 2002–2005 growing in line with the GDP increase, which is expected to reach more than 4% yearly until 2005.
On the subject of Armed Forces modernization, the main programs that are to be funded at this stage are the Communication and Information System, air space management and logistics areas. Their implementation contributes to upgrade and to increase our technical interoperability with NATO. Romania’s air surveillance system connected to NATINADS and regional ASOC centers will provide extended control and interception capabilities that are vital to the strategic management of the Allied Air Space, especially taking into account the nature of the new risks to Euro-Atlantic security.
Another priority objective regarding the reform and restructuring process is the improvement of deployment capabilities in order to increase our participation in NATO led peace support and crisis management operations. In this respect we have improved sea and air lift capabilities necessary to deploy forces into the theater of operations through arrangements made with commercial companies.
In order to improve the logistic support for both national and multinational operations, a Movement Coordination Center has been established and it is supporting the allies transiting Romania en route to Balkan countries. Currently, the existing rail infrastructure and Constanta’s port facilities are employed for the force rotation of the U.S. contingent participating in PSOs in Kosovo.
Constant and Substantial Involvement in Peace Support Operations
From the Gulf War in 1991 to Afghanistan in 2002, our involvement with peace support operations embodies an unchallenged goal: a visible and active involvement in global crisis management endeavors. Romania’s contribution to SFOR and KFOR increased in the last 6 months from 162 to 343 troops. A Romanian strategic reserve battalion of 400 persons is ready to be deployed upon request, for one month, to Kosovo, to ensure the rotation of NATO forces in the theater. Furthermore, we have diversified our capabilities for operations in this region, by increasing the number of National Intelligence Cells on the ground and the deployment in 2002 for the first time, of a contingent of 115 gendarmes in the UN special police force in Kosovo (UNMIK).
A global dimension was added to our current participation in multinational peace operations by Romania’s first contribution to military operations in Central Asia. Within the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), Romania participates with 1 military police platoon, 3 liaison officers and 1 transport aircraft C-130.
On the 30th of April, the Parliament approved Romania’s participation in the "Enduring Freedom" mission. Upon the request of the United States, a Romanian contingent composed of one infantry battalion will be deployed into the theater of operations as of 15th of July, assuming both combat and protection tasks in a difficult environment.
Alongside other SEE candidates’ integration, Romania’s admission into NATO can be considered as an essential factor in the establishment of security and stability in this region and across Europe.
Moreover, basic strategic requirements with regard to force projection and necessary surveillance in countering new security risks cannot avoid the conceptualization of NATO’s southern dimension, to which Bulgaria and Romania belong.
In the region, Romania took a leading role in shaping a stable environment, both at the political and diplomatic level and through military involvement. Romania has participated in all NATO political and military initiatives in South East Europe, and has coordinated a large number of projects in the area of security, diplomacy and internal affairs within the Stability Pact. It has opened in Bucharest, through a US initiative, a Southeastern Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI) center for countering trans-border organized crime. Last September, Romania took over the presidencies of leading committees of the South East Defense Ministerial and of the Multinational Peace Force in South East Europe, two of the most successful initiatives in ensuring appropriate regional military cooperation and involvement.
A culture of communication, transparency and regional ownership – these are the guideposts for Romania in promoting new forms and mechanisms of cooperation in South East Europe. Five years of partnership with Hungary consecrate this cooperation as a successful model for the region, while new cooperative relations have been forged with other South East European countries from the former Yugoslav Federation to the Community of Independent States.
Against this backdrop of progress, there are strong military and political reasons for Romania to become a NATO member. Enlargement of the North Atlantic Alliance is an inherent part of NATO transformation and, as an important player on NATO’s southern flank, Romania could participate in the improvement of Allied missions and capabilities.
From this standpoint, the enlargement of NATO is perhaps the most significant opportunity to build a united, stable and democratic Europe. Romania is fully aware that integration entails benefits and responsibilities. But above all, membership builds solidarity and its greatest benefit is enhanced security.